Smaller shops ring the changes

CONVENIENCE stores are leading the transformation of the retailing sector, according to a report published yesterday.

A survey of lifestyle and shopping habits found convenience stores, which include brands such as Spar, Centra and Mace, had eaten into the retailing market on both sides of the Border and that 80% of shoppers used them regularly to buy food on the way home from work.

The survey, carried out by market research agency Mintel, said convenience stores had benefited from longer working hours; longer commuting journeys; less free time and a greater proportion of women in the workforce.